Change your Life and Transform your Streets

I went on an early morning walk as I was minutes in my walk I saw a gentleman walking his dog and picking up the litter that had blown from the over filled dust bin. Well this area is of some natural beauty, but with the litter it is somewhat blighted with the obligatory shopping trolley in the gentle running stream.

As the recession strangles some of us, consumers go on-line to get a “bargain”. Britain's high streets and local parks are in decline with transformed local shops. Many town centres are filled with streets of empty, boarded up shops. Nearly a fifth of all shops were empty in ghost high streets across Yorkshire.

It is said that the sea side towns are leaving local streets derelict and abandoned. Spending habits has changed the face of the high street. Where are the real people throughout the country, who do pick up the litter without being asked too?

While off-licences and travel agents shut down, new charity shops, discount stores and cafes are popping up across the UK, catering for convenience and low-budget shoppers on the lookout for more bargains.

Estate agents, building societies, recruitment companies and pubs have also disappeared from local shopping streets, according to data from the Ordnance Survey.

The resurgence of community projects, pop-up shops and a new British cafe culture may be the solution for bringing back consumers to the town centres that have been forgotten for too long.

Who are the new sellers of goods? I say we are through eBay, garage and boot sales I believe there are profits to be made, for those usually excluded from activities of commerce. The tables have turned and no longer are the privileged with vast credit are able to monopolise the high street, maybe it is becoming a level playing field for start-ups.

We need to explore not complain to be able to focus on the challenge you are facing and why it is important both to you and to the whole community.  With this in focus, we can brainstorm for ideas around addressing the challenge. Be opening minded, believe everything is possible, uncover needs and opportunities and use your imagination, go crazy with ideas!

It is extraordinary how difficult it is to simply let ourselves have an idea without an interfering inner censor telling us it is impossible or will sound foolish.